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Laurier revises severe weather policy

Communications, Public Affairs & Marketing

Dec 8/11

Wilfrid Laurier University has revised its policy for closing the university due to severe weather.

The primary change to Policy 7.6 involves the process for deciding when the university closes due to severe weather. Under the new policy, the decision to close Laurier’s Waterloo campus and the Toronto office will be made by the president or designate. The decision to close the Brantford campus will be made by Laurier Brantford’s principal/vice-president or designate. Laurier’s buildings in Kitchener will close whenever the Waterloo campus closes.

Laurier’s previous policy required the university to close its Waterloo campus and Kitchener location when the Waterloo Region District Public School Board closed its schools. Similarly, the former policy required Laurier’s Brantford campus to close when the Grand Erie District School Board closed its schools.

The new policy is intended to provide the university with more flexibility and independence while continuing to ensure the safety of faculty, staff and students.

The university will close when severe weather means that normal operations would pose a significant danger to faculty, staff, and students or would prevent many from safely coming to the campuses or returning to their residences in surrounding areas.

Closing the university means that:

•All classes are cancelled

•Meetings and other scheduled events are not held

•Staff, other than those needed for essential services, are not expected to be at work

•Examinations are cancelled, with any centrally scheduled examinations to be rescheduled by the Office of the Registrar

•Deadlines for assignments and other submissions are postponed until the same hour on the next business day that the university is open

When a decision is made to close the university due to severe weather, a notice will be placed on the university homepage and an email message will be sent to all staff, faculty and students. The university will also alert the news media and communicate the closure via Twitter and Facebook. For more details, please click here to read the full policy.